The Manifesto for a Free Software Civilization

In defense of agency, dignity, and the time of every human being.

I. The Premise

We are no longer passive users of tools. We live through software—in our thoughts, our labor, our communication, our art. And yet, in this most human realm, we have allowed black boxes to take over.

We live in a world where most people:

Do not control the tools they rely on.

Cannot understand or inspect the programs shaping their daily life.

Are forbidden from sharing or improving those tools.

Waste time navigating systems designed to extract rather than serve.

This is not accidental. It is the architecture of proprietary software—a regime that denies basic technological dignity.

II. The Moral Claim

We affirm:

That every person has a right to use, study, modify, and share the tools they depend on.

That withholding that right is a form of digital coercion.

That designing systems which waste users’ time, deny transparency, or lock people in, is an offense against human decency.

That agency—the power to act with understanding and control—is not a luxury, but a foundational ethical right in the digital age.

That time, once spent, cannot be reclaimed—and stealing it by design is among the most dishonest and degrading acts a system can commit.

III. The Political Claim

We demand:

That all software used in public institutions be free software, accountable to the people it serves.

That free software be recognized as the only democratic foundation for digital infrastructure.

That laws protecting monopoly and surveillance under the guise of “intellectual property” be repealed, challenged, and disobeyed when they violate the right to technological self-determination.

That free software ecosystems be fostered and funded as a matter of public interest and international justice.

IV. The Economic Claim

We assert:

That free software is not the enemy of sustainability—it is the basis for ethical economies where people are paid for support, development, and training, not for permission to use what already exists.

That digital monopolies are built on artificial scarcity and extractive licensing—not value creation.

That a free software world does not destroy livelihoods—it redistributes power and possibility, rewarding transparency, contribution, and actual service.

V. The Cultural Claim

We believe:

That technological freedom is cultural freedom.

That people must not only be able to use their tools but to adapt them to their languages, their communities, and their needs.

That when we share knowledge freely, we unleash creativity, local resilience, and social cooperation.

That free software is a commons of time and knowledge—a cultural heritage that must be defended and expanded.

VI. The Vision

We work toward a world where:

Every software system is inspectable, modifiable, and shareable.

People are never forced to surrender agency to use a computer, a phone, or a state service.

Systems do not steal time, but respect it—by being efficient, open, and under the user's control.

The future of humanity is not decided by private code behind closed doors, but by transparent cooperation across borders.

VII. The Call

This is not merely a technical issue.

It is a matter of dignity. Of freedom. Of respect for human time.

We call on:

Developers: to release your code and liberate your users.

Citizens: to demand software you can understand and trust.

Educators: to teach free systems that teach in return.

Governments: to serve with tools the people control.

Workers: to organize for freedom on your digital shop floor.

All people: to reclaim the digital world as a commons, not a cage.

A final word

To withhold freedom in the digital realm is to cripple freedom in life itself. To waste another’s time through coercive tools is to rob them of life. To deny someone control of their tools is to deny them autonomy.

We will not comply with unjust code. We will not build with chains. We will shape the future with shared hands, open eyes, and free tools.

Long live free software. Long live human agency. Long live the dignity of time.